Crispy Crab Bites with Mustard Sauce

Name: Crispy Crab Bites with Mustard Sauce
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 8 oz lump crabmeat (about 1 cup), picked over; 1/4 cup mayonnaise, plus 1/4 cup for the sauce; 1 large egg; 1 1/2 tsp lemon juice, plus 1/2 tsp for the sauce; 3/4 tsp Old Bay seasoning; 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard, plus 1 tbsp for the sauce; 1/3 cup panko breadcrumbs; 1/2 cup fine breadcrumbs, for coating; 1/2 tsp granulated garlic (sauce); Pinch of kosher salt (sauce); Vegetable oil for frying, 2-3 inches deep

Lump crab folded with Old Bay and panko, rolled into bites, double frozen so the coating holds, then fried golden and served with a sharp Dijon dipping sauce.

Total time

35 min

Serves

4

Difficulty

Medium

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As seen on Episode 281

The pantry

kitchen

Essentials · serves 4

8 oz lump crabmeat (about 1 cup), picked over 1/4 cup mayonnaise, plus 1/4 cup for the sauce 1 large egg 1 1/2 tsp lemon juice, plus 1/2 tsp for the sauce 3/4 tsp Old Bay seasoning 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard, plus 1 tbsp for the sauce 1/3 cup panko breadcrumbs 1/2 cup fine breadcrumbs, for coating 1/2 tsp granulated garlic (sauce) Pinch of kosher salt (sauce) Vegetable oil for frying, 2-3 inches deep

·

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The preparation

6 steps, about 35 minutes start to finish.

01
Whisk the mayonnaise, egg, lemon juice, Old Bay, and Dijon until smooth. Fold in the crab and panko gently, keeping the lumps big.
02
Roll into 1 1/2 tbsp balls on a parchment-lined sheet and freeze 10 minutes.
03
Whisk the sauce: mayonnaise, Dijon, granulated garlic, lemon juice, and salt. Refrigerate.
04
Roll the chilled balls in fine breadcrumbs, pressing gently, then freeze 10 more minutes.
05
Heat the oil to 365 F. Fry in batches of 5-6 for 4-5 minutes, turning halfway, until deep golden. Let the oil recover between batches.
06
Drain on paper towels and serve warm with the mustard sauce.

lightbulb The chef's notes

“The double freeze is what keeps the coating on; skip it and the bites unravel in the oil. Leftovers crisp right back up in an air fryer at 350 F for 3-5 minutes.”

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Crispy Crab Bites with Mustard Sauce

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